


Celly

by samwhambam



Series: Score [5]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Dungeons and Dragons, Engagement, Hockey player AU, M/M, Mentions of one of the greatest films on earth--bring it on, Portugal - Freeform, Wedding Planning, backyard wedding, david does fashion things, hockey bfs turn to hockey husbands, holiday party, mentions of a physical injury, moving woes, multiple weddings, officially the last part of the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:35:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28293207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samwhambam/pseuds/samwhambam
Summary: There was one day left until their wedding. Well, it was closer to one night, at this point, and David was counting down the hours. Each time he looked at Patrick, he got more and more excited. In less than 24 hours, Patrick was going to be his husband.Or, the final part where hockey bfs becomes hockey husbands.Celly: Slang for “celebration” and refers to the expression of joy after a player scores a goal
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd/Twyla Sands
Series: Score [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584895
Comments: 43
Kudos: 254





	Celly

**Author's Note:**

> A year ago today, I woke up on Christmas Eve at 6 am after dreaming a section of what would become Odd Man Rush. I groggily said the words "hockey boyfriends" and then immediately got up to start planning the fic. It was posted 5 days later. 
> 
> I got the idea for this fic during sportsfest when I had already written 3/4 of Snipe. I figured this fic would be a great way to round out the series, and the perfect way to say good bye to one of my favorite AUs.
> 
> Much love to [tinn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_not_nothing/pseuds/this_is_not_nothing) who held my hand during this shit and to [houdini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/houdini74/pseuds/houdini74)
> 
> Thank you all for coming on this wild ride with me and happy holidays. xo

**_BIG NIGHT FOR TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS…ESPECIALLY PATRICK BREWER_ **

_ February 27, 2020 _

_ The Maple Leafs had a big win last night, but their win was upstaged by the on-ice, pre-game engagement of Patrick Brewer to his boyfriend, David Rose. Rose is known in the fashion world for his timeless collections with classic designs for all genders. The couple got together in February of 2018, and their relationship became public when they were caught in each other’s arms at a Toronto high-rise bar.  _

_ After the game, reporters caught up to Brewer for post-game interviews where he made the statement: _

_ “Tonight’s game was won by our team acting as one and moving confidently on the ice. It was a good night all around.” _

_ When pressed for more details, Brewer continued on about the engagement: _

_ “David and I are excited to take this next step together in our relationship and look forward to that chapter of our lives. We’re excited to celebrate with our families and are taking time to enjoy being engaged.” _

~

“Oh!”

David jumped awake as Patrick startled off of him, he was on the precipice of sleep after a  _ fun  _ evening celebrating their engagement. David hummed as he sat up and watched his naked  _ fiancé  _ walk away from the bed to the dresser. David watched as he opened his “workout” clothes drawer and rooted around. He made sure to appreciate his fiancés toned backside before he laid back down and pulled the covers back over his body, and closed his eyes. 

“David,” Patrick whispered from the side of the bed. 

“Hm?” David turned his head and opened his eyes to see Patrick on one knee next to the bed, a long, black, velvet box in his hands. “I think you already did this today.” David murmured as he turned to face Patrick. He tucked the blanket under his chin and watched with wide eyes as Patrick let out a breathy laugh. 

“That’s correct,” Patrick said. He flipped up the top of the lid and four golden rings were nestled in the satin material of the inside of the box. “But now I have these.”

David’s eyes flicked to the silver copies on his bedside table. Tears filled his eyes and he cleared his throat around the lump that had formed. Patrick’s smile grew as David slowly lost it.

“Are you going to ask me to marry you or are you going to keep staring at me?” David said. He brought the blanket up to wipe at the tears that were streaming down his face. 

“I thought I already asked you to marry me today?” Patrick asked with a soft smirk. His eyes were shiny. David held out his left hand and Patrick pulled each ring from the box and placed them on David’s fingers, just how David wore them on his happiest days, two on his index finger and two on his ring finger. 

“Can you come back to bed?” David asked. He pulled at Patrick’s arms and scooted back as Patrick dropped the now empty box onto the floor and climbed into bed. He was on David’s side, but David could let that slide.

“David,” Patrick whispered. He wrapped his arms around David and pulled him close until his lips were on David’s forehead. 

“I love you,” David whispered. 

“Love you too,” Patrick murmured into David’s hair. 

David held on tight to his  _ fiancé,  _ pressed his fingers into Patrick’s skin and basked in the warmth and love he could feel radiating off of him. David was still crying and he could feel Patrick’s tears on the tip of his nose where it pressed into David’s temples. 

“Those are happy tears, right?” David asked. 

“The happiest,” Patrick laughed. He pulled back his head and dipped down to press a kiss to David’s lips. David wrapped his hand around the back of Patrick’s neck to hold him close for just a bit longer. “Yours?” Patrick murmured against David’s lips. 

“So happy,” David whispered. 

They fell into silence and this time David was the one to push away from Patrick to get a good look at him and to say something to him. 

“Do you think we can sell our wedding photos to one of the big magazines?” David asked. He laughed as he dodged the pillow Patrick whipped at his head. 

*

David took a sip of his champagne as he made his way to their balcony. Their parents and friends had come over to celebrate their engagement, and David just needed a moment. Everyone had wanted to come over the night before, but David was overwhelmed and wanted time to celebrate just the two of them. Patrick had apologized to their overzealous family and invited them over the next day. 

He slid the door closed and sat down on one of the chairs they had out there. It was too cold to be outside, but he just wanted a second to bask in his happiness alone. 

David was about to get up to go inside when the door opened and Marcy appeared, a steaming mug in her hands. 

“There you are,” Marcy smiled at him as she sat down. “I don’t mean to spoil your alone time out here, but your mother and sister have slipped into wedding planning mode.”

“Oh no,” David shook his head. He should go in and stop it all, but he didn’t want to get in the middle of it. “Have they gotten to the bit where they want to have the wedding in Monaco?”

Marcy took a sip of her beverage. “They’ve passed that point.”

“Ugh,” David groaned. “My mom is only suggesting that so she can wear the drop earrings Princess Grace gifted her in the 70’s and really sell the fantasy. I should go stop her before she guilts Patrick into agreeing.”

He paused when Marcy placed a hand on his arm. 

“Before you go in there,” Marcy cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice wobbled and her eyes shone. “I just wanted to say, how happy I am that you two are getting married. You’ve been part of the family since the first time we met, but I’m happy that it’s going to be official.”

“Oh,” David breathed. He blinked back his own tears. “Thank you.”

Marcy stood up, David followed, and she pulled him into a hug. 

When they walked back inside, he joined Patrick who was listening to David’s mom wax poetic about Monaco. He turned to David, wide-eyed. David shook his head quickly. There’d be none of that. 

Everyone left a lot later than anticipated and when Patrick closed the door behind them all, David collapsed on their couch and held his arms up. Patrick chuckled but still crossed the foyer to drop down on top of David. 

“I think we should move,” David whispered. He pressed a kiss against Patrick’s temple, who buried his face deeper into David’s neck. 

“Deep into the woods where we can be alone?” Patrick asked. 

“No,” David shook his head as much as he could with Patrick tucked into him. “Although, I do appreciate the sentiment. I just wouldn’t do well in the woods, long term?”

“Okay,” Patrick hummed as he sat up. David followed until they were sitting facing each other. “We just moved.”

“That was four months ago, I don’t think we should really be counting that as  _ ‘just’, _ ” David argued. 

“I’ll rephrase that then, why do you want to move out of our relatively new apartment, that we recently moved into? This is the same apartment that you claimed was absolutely perfect and checked all our boxes.”

David bit back a smile. The apartment  _ was _ perfect. He reached out and pinched at the fabric covering Patrick’s right shoulder.

“Because I miss your house? And I know you miss being in a house in a neighborhood, and Butters misses having a yard to be allowed onto. I have noticed the wistful looks she gives out the window and am choosing to believe it’s because she just wants to go outside and not that she wants to jump,” David explained. 

Patrick blinked at him. 

“Probably would’ve been nice to have figured this out before we moved here and got rid of most of my stuff,” Patrick countered, but he was smiling. 

“You act as if we wouldn’t have been getting rid of half of your stuff regardless,” David teased as Patrick moved back in close and pressed a series of kisses to David’s neck. “You have awful taste.”

“Why don’t you show me how awful my taste is?” Patrick murmured before he took David’s earlobe between his teeth.

“That wasn’t as good of a line as you think,” David whispered, but he let himself be pushed down onto his back. 

*

“How about this one?” David turned his iPad towards Patrick, who looked up from his book with wide, bloodshot eyes. “Blink honey.”

Patrick blinked multiple times until his eyes were glassy with moisture. David reached for the eyedrops he kept on his side of the bed. They both had a habit of forgetting to blink when they got invested in their reading. He handed them to Patrick and then clicked on the photos to make them larger. 

“I don’t like the setup of the living room, dining room and kitchen,” Patrick said when he handed the iPad back to David. 

“Ugh, same,” David sighed. “Why is finding the perfect house impossible?”

“I don’t know babe,” Patrick threw his book onto his side table and reached for David’s iPad. “How about—” Patrick locked the tablet and placed it on top of his book. “We do some other research.”

David raised an eyebrow at him. 

“That involves our bodies,” Patrick grinned at David as he lifted the blankets and moved closer to David’s body. 

“Okay, yes, but first,” David pressed a hand to Patrick’s shoulder to keep him still. “Why do you seem like you’re not invested in finding a house?”

Patrick furrowed his brows. “I am invested.”

“You’ve barely looked at the listings I’ve shown you. And you always veto them when you do look at them,” David explained. “Do you not want to move?”

Patrick ran a hand along the arm that David was using to hold him at bay. 

“I want to move, because you’re right. I’ve missed having a house, and I’ve noticed that you haven’t really settled into the apartment yet,” Patrick murmured as he tickled at the underside of David’s arm. “But all the ones we’ve seen, just haven’t been right. We have time to find it.”

David nodded gently as Patrick pressed a kiss to David’s cheek. 

“I just,” David huffed. Patrick pulled back and David took a deep breath at the earnest look on his fiancés face. It was still difficult sometimes to say the really tender things. “Really want to start our life together.”

“David,” Patrick grinned. “Baby, we’ve already started.”

He could feel his heart beating harder and faster, which concerned him. 

“We’re going to get married, but you’ve already been it for me. I started our life together that first time we talked on the phone when you were in the bath, after I secured a date,” Patrick moved to straddle David’s hips. The weight of him was reassuring and David pressed his hands against Patrick’s defined quads. 

“Well, it’s not a competition,” David muttered. Patrick laughed and David tugged at him until he was laying on David. 

“It’s not,” Patrick tilted his head up and David kissed him. Of course he kissed him, even though Patrick’s lips were quirked in an exaggerated pout. “But if it was, I won.”

“You are insufferable!” David pushed Patrick off of him. He moved before Patrick could retaliate and sat on his hips. Patrick reached up and David bat his hands away before he could tickle him. David had learned very early on that Patrick fought dirty. “Why did I say yes?”

“Because you love me,” Patrick grinned. 

David shook his head, but still ran a finger over Patrick’s bottom lip. 

“I do, which is probably my biggest flaw.”

Patrick gasped and David fell to the bed laughing as Patrick climbed back on top of him.

*

After a long and frustrating search for the perfect house, they were  _ finally  _ moved in, just in time for a group of Patrick’s teammates to decide to give D&D a try. 

Patrick had come into their new home one day after an away game and accosted David where he was still trying to finalize the furniture placement in their den. He hoped that everything would come together once he got the console cabinet set up with Patrick’s vinyl collection. 

“Some of the guys and I are going to put together a D&D campaign,” Patrick said after he kissed David hello. David couldn’t stop the look that etched itself into his face. He wasn’t…he had to have heard that wrong. 

“D&D?” David asked. Patrick nodded. “D&D as in…”

“Dungeons and Dragons!”

So he  _ had _ heard him correctly. 

Patrick sat on the floor and grabbed the nearest pile of records and turned to David. “How are you organizing them?”

“By genre and then alphabetically by last name,” David put his pile down. “Okay 1, you’re only allowed to sit on the floor in that suit because it’s time for it to go see Sergei at the dry cleaners. 2, you’re going to start playing dungeons and dragons? I thought I was past the point in my life where I had to worry that a significant other would want to play role playing games.”

“You’re never too old to slay dragons, David,” Patrick responded without looking up from his pile. 

“Okay, so on what days will you be leaving me to go play basement games with your friends?” David asked. Patrick still didn’t look up and David nodded his head because he knew where this was going. 

“Well,” Patrick started. “We’re scheduling as we go because that makes the most sense to us.”

David shook his head. He knew where it was going and he was fucking  _ dreading  _ it. 

“And, since we have a whole house and we’re all moved in,” Patrick paused. “I invited the guys here.”

“When is the first game?” David needed to know so he could plan a night out. On his own. Without his dragon slaying fiancé. 

“Tomorrow evening,” Patrick finally looked up at David. “I’m going to order pizza and pick up some beer tomorrow, so you don’t have to plan anything. And I’ll make sure to get your favorite pie and your preferred beverages. And I’ll get enough pizza for Stevie and Twyla if you want to invite them over.”

The pizza was what really soothed it all over. 

“I want my pizza to myself. You and your friends eat a lot,” David said. He picked up the records he had previously set down. “And I want this space for movie-watching. You all can have the dining table.”

“Thank you David,” Patrick leaned over and pressed two kisses to David’s temple. 

“It’s your house too! You can do whatever you want!” David squirmed away as Patrick’s cold hands stroked his skin beneath his sweater. 

“I can still be thankful,” Patrick murmured. His breath was hot and tickled David’s ear. “I can  _ show  _ you how thankful I am.”

“You have been so horny lately,” The records slipped off David’s lap as he leaned back onto the ultra plush carpet they replaced the old flooring with. 

“What can I say?” Patrick whispered in between kisses. “My fiancé is irresistible.”

A pleasurable shiver ran down David’s spine at the words. 

“Say fiancé again,” David begged as Patrick sat back to take off his suit jacket. 

“ _ Fiancé,”  _ Patrick whispered as he lowered himself back down. 

“Mhm, yep,” David nodded. “That’ll do it.”

*

“I need a raise,” Stevie said as soon as David opened the front door for her. 

“Hello to you too,” David noticed the gift bag in her hand and made a move for it. Stevie held onto it tightly and only let go after the second tug. 

“Greedy,” Stevie murmured as she pushed past him. 

“Hi, David,” Twyla smiled at him when he stepped out of the way for her. 

“Twyla,” David gave a little shimmy when she held out the nice bottle of whiskey she was holding. 

“Congrats on the move,” She said as he took the bottle from her hands. 

“Seriously though,” Stevie spun around slowly, eyes raking over the interior of the house that they could see from the foyer. “I need a raise.”

“Oh my god, you control my schedule. Just pencil in a meeting tomorrow during working hours, and talk to Diane about the finances and what we could do before it,” David waved the bottle in the air. “It’s whiskey time, which means it’s not  _ let’s talk about work time.” _

He led them into the kitchen, past the formal dining room where Patrick and a few of his teammates were already sitting and talking loudly about  _ statistics,  _ and  _ hit points.  _

David turned around once they got to the kitchen. 

“Where’d Twyla go?”

Stevie hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I think she’s talking D&D with the guys.” She sat down on one of the stools at the kitchen island. 

“Ew,” David shuddered. “Are we both dating later in life D&D savants?”

“I don’t think the word dating applies,” Stevie looked down and picked at her nails. David watched with a raised eyebrow. Stevie’s tells were  _ very  _ obvious. 

“Um, what?” David asked. Her quip wasn’t David and Patrick specific; he was missing something. “Oh my god, are you guys breaking up? Stevie! She is literally the only person who can put up with you. And you live together! In the cutest apartment. Who would get the apartment?”

“I’m thinking about proposing,” Stevie said in a rushed whisper. “We went to her cousin's wedding last weekend and we talked about it briefly and I think it might be time.”

“Stevie!” David gasped. “And she wants that? Do you want that?”

Stevie didn’t respond, just lifted a shoulder like she always did when she talked about Twyla. 

“Stevie?” David needed to hear the words. 

“Yes, we both want it,” Stevie covered her face, but it couldn’t hide the fact that she was smiling. Wide. “We kind of, both agreed that it’s the next step and we have a preferred timeline.”

“Wait…” David rounded the island, the gifts abandoned on the counter next to the stove. “Are you engaged?”

Stevie nodded. “Technically, yes. Just there aren’t any rings.”

“Stevie!” David shouted. He dragged her off her stool to give her a hug. 

“I’m assuming you told him?” Twyla said as she walked past them to the bottle of whiskey. 

“Twyla!” In a move David would’ve never expected from himself, he let go of Stevie and pulled Twyla into a hug. When he let go of her, he took the whiskey from her hands and turned to the fridge. “I think I have champagne.”

“What’s going on?” Patrick asked as he dropped an empty beer bottle into the recycling bin in the pantry. “Why are we drinking champagne?”

“Stevie and Twyla have some exciting news,” David shimmied his shoulders as he pulled the champagne they meant to pop when they moved, from the bottom shelf of the fridge. 

“We’re getting married,” Twyla said, eyes trained on Stevie’s with a smile that had David tearing up. 

“Congratulations!” Patrick pulled them both into a hug. “That’s so exciting!”

“It is,” Stevie murmured. 

David ripped the foil off the bottle, untwisted the metal cage and popped the cork in record time. “Patrick, grab some glasses?”

They toasted Stevie and Twyla and Patrick downed his glass. 

“We’ll celebrate more when I don’t have four hockey players in the dining room waiting for me to come back with beer,” Patrick apologized. 

Twyla waved him off as she sat down in the stool Stevie had vacated. 

“So,” David leaned against the counter. “Have you two started planning? Stevie, you said there’s a timeline. What is it?”

“Shouldn’t we be talking about your wedding? You got engaged first,” Stevie countered. 

“Patrick and I aren’t getting married until September of next year,” David waved a hand in the air. “September makes most sense with his schedule and the photographer I want to use is booked a year in advance, so next year won out.”

Stevie and Twyla exchanged a look. 

“Well…” David prodded. 

“We were thinking of a summer wedding,” Stevie said. Twyla nodded. “Maybe this summer.”

“A short engagement makes sense for us,” Twyla shrugged. “Summer, with the wedding outside, ceremony during golden hour.”

David wanted to cry. It was perfect for them. Twyla with her summer freckles and auburn hair in the setting sun? It was perfect. He’d just have to convince Stevie to get a little sun time just so she also had a bit of a glow to her. Then it’d be perfect. 

The doorbell rang and David tapped on the counter. 

“We’ll pick up this conversation after pizza.”

*

“Popcorn.” 

David held out the bag towards Stevie, well in her general direction. 

Kirsten Dunst was making a comment about how people with tattoos weren’t allowed on the cheer squad, which meant Eliza Dushku was going to do the “finger lick + tattoo removal” and he could  _ not  _ miss it. 

He let go as he felt the bag get pulled from his grip. 

“That,” David cleared his throat. “That scene never gets old.”

Twyla hummed from the other end of the couch. Stevie laughed, and when David looked over, her eyes were wide and threatening. He braced himself. 

“I feel like you were too old for this movie when it came out,” Stevie raised her eyebrows at him. 

“First of all,” David grabbed the bag back from her. “You’re rude. Second, no one is ever too old for a movie co starring Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union.”

“Is there a third or—”

“David?” 

David turned his head to look at Patrick who was peeking his head around the corner into the den. 

“Yes, honey?” David asked, his budding argument with Stevie was forgotten quickly. 

“The guys are going to leave, do you want to come say goodnight?”

“Uh,” David looked back to the tv. He should be a good host, but he was comfortable and the movie was starting to get very good. If he said goodbye to the hockey players that had taken over his dining room, he might get compliments about their home, and that was what propelled him off the couch. 

The goodbyes were quick, and appropriately filled with positive comments about the house. They had already cleaned up their mess, and David followed Patrick into the kitchen to get another drink before he went back to the den. 

“So, Stevie and Twyla, huh?” Patrick asked. He grinned as he trapped David against the counter. 

“Yeah,” David laughed as he draped his arms over Patrick’s shoulders. “They said they were thinking of getting married this summer.”

“That’s soon,” Patrick murmured. 

“I don’t think they want to spend a year planning their wedding. I very much enjoy them, but their taste is no where near mine,” David grimaced. “So, I’m not surprised they’re okay with rushing perfection.”

Patrick nodded as his fingers dipped beneath David’s sweater. 

“And you’re okay with all that?” Patrick asked. 

“With what? Them getting married? I mean, I never envisioned Stevie getting married, but I was also on the fence about myself. So I can’t—”

“No,” Patrick interrupted. “With them getting married before us.”

David furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Should I not be okay with that?”

“You can,” Patrick tilted his head. “I just figured you’d have feelings about the fact that they got engaged after us but are getting married before us. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t jealous.”

“Jealous?” David laughed. “Honey, I’m pretty sure Twyla’s going to insist on including mason jars as decorations. There is absolutely nothing to be jealous of.”

“If you say so,” Patrick tilted his head up for a kiss, eyes all wide and earnest and David turned his head away. 

“No. If you kiss me, we won’t stop and I really want to finish the movie.”

“David,” Patrick stepped back with an amused shake of his head. 

“What? It’s a classic coming of age tale! And it has a strong message against cultural appropriation,” David explained. “It’s an important film!”

*

The Leafs made it to the playoffs and no one was more surprised than David was. Well. He wasn’t exactly surprised they made it to the playoffs, he was just surprised that they made it this far into the playoffs. 

David knew they had a weak defense in the neutral zone, and they were usually unable to win the battles in the corners. Which didn’t bode well.

He rooted for the Leafs when they played and enjoyed the victory sex they had when Patrick came home swimming in endorphins and adrenaline. He enjoyed going to games and he genuinely enjoyed the other players. He liked the Leafs because of Patrick, but a secret, small part of him thought they were overrated. Which is an opinion he  _ never  _ thought he’d have about a sports team. 

He’d also never tell Patrick that. 

The Leafs made it to the playoffs and he watched his fiancé cry with happiness with each victory that brought them closer to the Stanley Cup. 

Then he watched his fiancé sob as he was helped off the ice after a weird accident led to him falling down in pain. Somehow, through all the padding, with all the experience Patrick had on the ice, a single hockey stick and a weird angle led to him breaking his ankle. Patrick was out for the near future with strict instructions to  _ stay off his foot.  _

The Leafs didn’t last much longer in the playoffs after that. 

The night after their eliminating game, David sat next to Patrick on their back porch swing. Patrick barely said anything in the 36 hours since the last buzzer. He didn’t say anything when he got into the car with David after their coaches let the team go after a speech dedicated to how  _ proud  _ they were of everyone on the team. He didn’t say anything when David cuddled into his side in bed, or when David placed breakfast in front of him. He did say thank you though, when David threw away his plate of cold, mostly untouched food. 

David made Patrick prop his foot up in lieu of swinging in the swing, but he made up for it by refilling Patrick’s water bottle and holding his hand. 

“So, you know I love it when you pout, but I think we should talk about it all,” David broke the silence. 

Patrick turned to look at him. David smiled at him and Patrick nodded. 

“I’m very proud of you and the team for getting as far as you did,” David murmured. “I know that  _ this _ ,” David motioned to Patrick’s ankle. “sucks, and it sucks that the Leafs didn’t go farther, but you all still did so well.”

Patrick didn’t say anything but his eyebrows furrowed as his throat let out a garble of a groan.

“I just want to make sure that the loss doesn’t overshadow the achievement,” David said. He gripped Patrick’s hand tighter. Patrick was still quiet, which meant that David felt the need to fill the silence. He grimaced as he decided to take the ‘at least get Patrick to laugh’ approach. “You won the Stanley Cup of my heart!”

Patrick chuckled as his eyes filled with tears. 

“That really hurt you to say, huh?” Patrick joked. His voice was hoarse and David raised his other hand to brush a thumb along his cheekbone. 

“It was worth it,” David pulled at Patrick’s bottom lip. 

“If I hadn’t gotten hurt, I could’ve been there with them, helped them. We could’ve won, or lost along with them,” Patrick cried. “I wasn’t there and I let them down.”

“Patrick, honey,” David gripped both Patrick’s hands. “Everyone said that what happened to you, could’ve happened to anyone on the ice. You didn’t let anyone down. None of your teammates are holding it against you. You are part of the team. You all got this far.”

His fiancé stared at him with those wide, whiskey eyes. David’s heart broke for him, for his loss. Patrick spent his whole  _ life  _ training for his games, and will continue to train for the wins. The losses hurt, especially when they were so close to the final prize. 

“I still feel bad,” Patrick looked down. A fat tear rolled down his cheek and David let go of one hand to wipe it away. 

“And that’s okay,” David said. “You got very close to winning the big trophy, and we should celebrate that. Also, can I put in a petition with the NHL to make the Stanley Cup gold? The silver just doesn’t quite scream  _ ‘the ultimate trophy.’  _ They should really be following the Olympic awards system.”

Patrick threw his head back with a watery laugh. “How are you so good at that?”

“At what?” David smiled at him. It didn’t really matter what, he’d take the compliment with no problem. 

“Knowing what to say,” Patrick murmured as he pulled David closer into his side. 

“Oh, I don’t. I just somehow always luck out with you,” David teased. “I think most of the time you’re just placating me and letting me think I’m doing good by you.”

“Mmm, that’s not it,” Patrick sighed. 

“Hey, since you’re sad, why don’t we have a movie night? I can gather snacks while you rest that ankle of yours. I’ll even compromise and we’ll watch The Mighty Ducks. But only because you’re sad about the hockey,” David suggested. 

“Aw, a compromise just for me?” Patrick knocked his head against David’s where it was resting on his shoulder. 

“Yep!” David turned his head, pressed a kiss to Patrick’s temple and then pushed himself up to standing. He held his hands out in front of him, tight around an imaginary,  _ ew,  _ hockey stick. “Rose is at the ready, Brewer guides the puck behind the net, passes it to Rose—” David motioned at Patrick who shook his head, and mimed passing him a puck. “Who shoots it into the net! And he scores!”

He spun in a circle and struck a pose as Patrick cheered for him.

“Pass, shoot, and score!” David threw his arms up in the air. Patrick laughed from the swing. 

“That’s from the movie Miracle,” Patrick held his hand out. David grabbed it and helped him to his one good foot. “That’s also not how that scene went.”

“How many fucking hockey movies are there?!”

*

When they first moved in, they spent a lot of nights talking about the future. They stayed up talking about different renovations and room remodels, about what they wanted to do with their very big, and very overwhelming backyard. 

In all these talks, they never once envisioned that they would be hosting a wedding on their property. 

The backyard was full of people as they set up the back yard. The ceremony space was ready, all the flowers and centerpieces were lined up on the porch waiting. All that was left was the dining space, and the dance floor. 

“It looks great outside,” Patrick said. David turned to smile at him as Patrick joined him in the kitchen. 

David hummed as he placed his empty cup in the dishwasher. 

“It’s going to look even better once the sun starts to set and we turn on all the lights,” David replied. The wedding coordinator had stayed late the night before after the rehearsal dinner to start the set up. He had watched as they flipped the switch on and the dining and dancing area had lit up in the gentle glow. 

“When are the brides arriving?” Patrick asked. David watched as he picked through the pizza boxes. He sorted the boxes into piles and when he opened the lid, steam wafted from the pizza and David’s stomach rumbled. 

“Well, Stevie’s already here and Twyla texted and said that she and the maid of honor were on their way. The actual itinerary for them getting ready is on the fridge,” David grabbed plates from the cabinet and set them on the island. “Hey.”

Patrick looked up at him from where he was reaching into the open box for a slice. 

“Want to do me a huge favor?”

“Not particularly?” Patrick raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Okay, that’s rude,” David scoffed. Patrick laughed and closed the lid to the box, his hand free of pizza. 

“What is it?” Patrick asked. 

“Can you let people know that food is here and they’re welcome to some,” David shimmied his shoulders as he rounded the island to lean into Patrick’s side. “It’s just that you’re better with strangers than I am.”

“Am I?” Patrick hummed. 

“Yes, you are,” David pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you!”

Patrick shook his head as he made his way from the kitchen and David took the opportunity to quickly find the perfect first slice. 

When Twyla got there, David made a big show of banishing her to the master bedroom so she could get ready with her maid of honor and reminded her  _ many  _ times to not leave the top floor. He didn’t work to keep Stevie and Twyla separate from each other the night before their wedding for them to see each other moments before the ceremony. 

“Are you nervous?” David asked as he watched Stevie start on her makeup. Stevie’s eyes flicked over to him. 

“Should I be?” She arched an eyebrow at him. She patted on her blurring primer with the makeup sponge David insisted she use instead of her fingers. 

“I don’t know,” David shrugged. “A lot of people seem to be nervous on their wedding day.”

“Are you going to be nervous on your wedding day?” Stevie asked. She only had a few products on the counter and David cursed her naturally even skin tone. 

“I don’t know,” David whispered. “Seems kind of weird and embarrassing to pledge your love for someone in front of a large group of people.”

“Well, there’s going to be 30 people at this wedding, so it doesn’t seem as intimidating,” Stevie patted the concealer out under her eyes. Next was the sweep of a soft gold shimmering eyeshadow on her eyelids, followed by mascara.

“I’m surprised you know 30 people,” David teased. He dodged the sponge she threw at him. 

That had surprised him, how few people they invited to the wedding. When Stevie shared the guest list with him, he had turned the single sheet of paper over to look for names on the back. There had been none. 

“We don’t need more than that,” Stevie had said. “We’re both from small towns and aren’t close with our family. It means more to us to just have the people we absolutely want there.”

Later that night, while David and Patrick were sharing a nightcap outside, David mentioned asking if they wanted to use the backyard for their wedding. There was enough space to turn it into something beautiful and it was small enough to be intimate. 

Stevie and Twyla had shared a small smile when David offered.

“It would be nice to get married in a place that will continue to be a part of our lives,” Twyla had said and Stevie had nodded. That was that. 

“Have you and Patrick started wedding planning yet?” Stevie asked. She blended a petal pink cream blush on the apples of her cheeks and a highlight on her cheekbones. 

“I’ve put together the moodboard,” David bit back a smile at the mention of his own wedding. 

“Well, that is the most important part,” Stevie commented. 

“It is! Thank you! Can you tell Patrick that? He—” He cut himself off at Stevie’s dead eyed expression. “You’re rude.”

Stevie smiled at him. 

“I did book the photographer and we have an appointment later this week to check out a venue. So, things are happening,” David said in defense. 

“Um,” She cleared her throat. “So, I’m only asking you this because I know you, and you have to answer honestly. But are you upset, in any way, that we’re getting married before you and Patrick? Even though you got engaged first?”

David laughed. Patrick had asked him that  _ multiple  _ times since the first time when Stevie told him about the engagement. 

“I literally could not care less,” David said. “Which I know is very unusual, but you can't rush perfection. And that is what my wedding will be.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Plus, we can only get married within a certain time frame? Patrick needs enough time between peak hockey season and the wedding to get his teeth fixed if they get knocked out,” David explained. “And like I said before, the photographer was booked through this year. So, it literally has to be next year.”

“Okay,” Stevie nodded. “As long as you’re not mad.”

“I’m not mad, but I don’t appreciate you waiting until your wedding day to check in? Seems a little insincere that way?” David tapped the counter. “But I will ignore that bit because it is your big day.”

Stevie rolled her eyes and he sat in silence as she set her cream products with powder and topped off the look with a nude lipstick. 

“How do I look?” Stevie fluffed up her lightly curled hair as she turned to face him. 

“Besides the pajamas you’re wearing? Very beautiful,” David teased. 

*

David stood at his designated  _ best man  _ spot next to the altar as he watched Twyla walk down the short aisle. The soft tulle of the skirt flowed around her as she walked and the soft sunlight caught on the embellishments on her bodice and bishop sleeves. 

Twyla had taken him by surprise when he first met her. Stevie introduced them to each other after they became serious. David wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t the woman who smiled the entire night and looked at Stevie like she was the most precious thing on earth. Twyla was kind and encouraging, a little weird, but also perfect for his sarcastic, yet loving best friend.

She loved Stevie, and looked at her like she hung the moon. Which was more than he thought Stevie deserved given all the grief she’d given David over the years. 

David smiled at Twyla as she situated herself on the altar. She winked at him and they both turned to the house as the music changed and Stevie and Patrick stepped through the back door onto the patio. 

They had flipped a coin for the order, and Stevie had been gifted the opportunity to walk down the aisle second. 

The Chantilly lace jumpsuit Stevie was wearing was perfect. She looked happy as Patrick walked her down the aisle, and David was so proud to stand up with her as she married the woman who made her glow so bright it rivaled the golden hour sunlight. 

Stevie didn’t make it five minutes into the ceremony before she was crying, but David was too, so he couldn’t make fun of her for it. Instead he handed her the ring when she turned to him and he clasped his hands together tightly when Twyla’s vows brought everyone to tears. Even Ronnie, an old friend of Twyla’s, was crying, and she had seemed the least likely to cry. 

When they had their first kiss as wives, David winked at his fiancé who was standing and cheering from the front row. The ceremony transitioned into cocktails and dinner and they watched on as Stevie and Twyla shared their first dance under the stars and soft lighting from the tables and the lights that were strung up. 

_ ‘Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You’  _ by Dolly Parton played through the speakers that surrounded the reception. 

“They look so happy,” Patrick murmured into David’s ear as David leaned back against Patrick. They were seated at the singular long table on the grass, right next to Stevie and Twyla’s empty seats. 

“They are,” David whispered back. Patrick’s arm came up to wrap around David’s shoulders. He played with David’s bowtie, his chin tucked over David’s left shoulder, as they watched their friends dance together. 

“It’s going to be us soon,” Patrick’s voice was soft, fond and David blushed. 

“I can’t wait.”

Their plates were empty and when the song changed, they and other guests got up to join them on the dance floor.

It was a perfect evening. 

*

Light washed into the room in ribbons of morning gold and David blinked awake with a smile. They were on day two of their vacation, away from the real world and the stress of work and anticipation of the upcoming hockey season. 

He turned and snuggled into Patrick’s side. Patrick’s arm wrapped around David’s shoulders and pulled him in close. 

“Morning,” David whispered. 

Patrick hummed beneath David’s ear. 

“This view,” Patrick murmured in wonder. 

“Are you talking about me or the Tagus River?” David asked. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s chest. 

“Both?” Patrick moved and pushed David into the bed on his back. 

“It’s early,” David pouted. Patrick smiled as he lowered his head down to kiss at David’s neck. 

“But,” Patrick smirked. “What if I opened the balcony doors and we made love while breathing in the sweet Lisbon air. Smells good.”

“Ew, don’t say it like that,” David laughed as he pushed at Patrick’s shoulders. “But also I would like that very much.”

He watched as Patrick laughed and pushed himself up off the bed. He admired the ripple of Patrick’s muscles under his skin as he moved. It was picture perfect and David grabbed his phone off the nightstand. 

“Wait, can I take a picture? I just had an idea,” David sat up in bed. 

“What—”

“It involves you and more than partial nudity but I will censor it,” David stood up. Patrick laughed and nodded. 

David guided him through the pose, arms stretched as he opened the door, one leg bent just slightly, lit by the morning sun. He uploaded it to his instagram stories with a peach over Patrick’s ass, just big enough to cover him. 

“Are you done?” Patrick asked as he climbed back into bed. 

“Just give me a minute to change the background of my phone and then I’ll be ready,” David teased. Patrick laughed and dove into the space between David’s arms as he tapped around on his phone. 

“David,” Patrick nipped at David’s nipple in warning. 

“I’m almost done!” He moved the photo so it was centered on his phone. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Patrick nuzzled his nose into David’s chest hair. 

“I’m sorry that I want to appreciate your backside every time I open my phone,” David said. “Also this pales in comparison to some of the poses you did in the nude for the ESPN magazine.”

“I know you look at that spread when I’m at away games,” Patrick smirked up at him as he pulled the sheet from where David had covered himself. 

“I look at a lot of pictures of you when you’re at away games. I have quite a few,” David joked. 

Patrick hummed as he settled between David’s legs. “Why don’t you take a few more.”

“Patrick Brewer!” David gasped as Patrick took him into his mouth. 

More than a _ few  _ pictures were taken. 

*

The breeze off the waterfront was biting as David pulled his journal out from his jacket pocket. Patrick was inside the bar ordering them a drink to celebrate their last night in Lisbon before they went to Porto. Visiting both cities had been a compromise. Patrick had done his research and placed Porto at the top of his must-see list, mostly for the wine. Lisbon had been David’s idea. 

He had been once when he was younger on a family trip after his mother had fallen into a brief affair with fado music. He still remembers it playing throughout her wing of the house as she took care of her wigs on wash days, even though no one in the house understood the language. 

Besides Adelina. 

He had very weak memories of 12 string guitars playing in the nursery and mournful singing, but they were barely there and he couldn’t tell if they were real. 

One day, when he was young enough that Adelina was still their nanny, but he was old enough to no longer need her in the same capacity he had when he was younger; he had gone to the kitchen for a snack and had stopped when he found her leaning against the partial wall that created the entryway to his parents wing. She was crying silently with her head tilted against the wall behind her as she listening to the music that wafted from the wig room. David had been excused from helping his mother after he accidentally sneezed on one of the wigs. 

“Are you okay?” He had asked Adelina. He was still young and interested in other’s emotional wellbeing. 

“Yeah,” She wiped the tears from her cheek and straightened the apron she wore. “Just listening to the music.”

“Are the lyrics as sad as the song sounds?” He asked as he followed her into the kitchen. The cook was gone for the evening and she pulled down cookies from her designated snack shelf. 

“Sometimes, yes,” She pulled the lid off the top and he held his hand out for one of the horse-shoe cookies. “What do you say?”

“Please?”

She placed one in his palm. She took one for herself. The white pastry was crisp and the filling flooded his mouth with the taste of anise and cinnamon. He loved the gentle spice from the pepper he watched her add when she made them. Alexis had frowned when she saw the ingredients, but he knew to trust Adelina. 

“What do they say in the songs?” David asked as he picked at the filling that had pushed through the slits in the pastry. 

“Usually they sing about how hard life is, the daily struggles and the hope they feel that it’ll get easier. Sometimes it’s about the ocean. They sing about the melancholy parts of life, of having  _ saudade,  _ such a strong longing for something, usually home. And the feeling of loss,” Adelina pulled another two cookies out for them before she placed the lid on the container. “When I hear it, I think about my mother, and growing up watching her and my dad try to make a life for us here. I think about their struggles and how no matter what success they had here, they’d always miss home. These songs were what I grew up listening to.”

David had been too young to understand it all. He still thinks about her often. 

He could hear Patrick coming back to the table, so he flipped back to the beginning of his wedding planning notes. 

“Here you go,” Patrick placed the cocktail in front of David. 

“What did you get me?” David asked as he picked up the cocktail. 

“Could not tell you,” Patrick said with a laugh. David shook his head as he took a sip. It was  _ delicious.  _

“So what’s on the docket?” Patrick nodded at the journal. 

“I’m rethinking the aesthetic of our wedding,” David admitted. Patrick froze in his seat. 

“Really?”

“Yes. I know I mentioned the French Monarchy aesthetic and Versailles, hall of mirrors, but,” David trailed off. “I think I changed my mind.”

“Did you?” Patrick smiled at him. He reached out and placed his hand on David’s where he had been fiddling with the corner of the paper. 

“Mhm,” David hummed. 

“What’re you thinking now?” Patrick asked. 

“Classic, timeless?” David chuckled. “Maybe a little pretentious?”

“So what does that look like?” Patrick teased. “I like the buzzwords, but I’m lacking a clear idea.”

“I don’t know,” David flipped his hand over and tangled his fingers with Patrick’s. “A lot of flowers. Candles. White fabrics.”

“Sounds nice,” Patrick commented.

“I don’t have any specifics,” David waved his other hand. The band was setting up in the corner of the patio, and David spoke over the tinkering of the guitars. “I just …”

Patrick squeezed his hand. 

“I got caught up in all the things I thought I wanted when I was younger, but after Stevie and Twyla’s wedding, I don’t know,” David said. Patrick smiled at him and David looked out to his left, to the water in the distance. “I’ve been inspired.”

“Well, I don’t care what our wedding looks like, as long as we are married by the end of it.”

“Oh,” David let go of Patrick’s hand and picked up his pen, ready to tease his fiancé. “That’s a good idea. I should write ‘actually get married’ on my list.”

Patrick laughed as David pretended to write it down.

*

Wedding planning was hard. It felt like every time he thought he decided on something, he was filled with the wedding equivalent of buyers remorse. Patrick had come up with  _ many  _ inventive ways to relax David when he got wound up too tightly, but it was still stressful. 

“Put the wedding stuff down,” Patrick murmured as he wrapped his arms around David’s shoulders. 

“But—”

“Nope,” Patrick pressed his lips to the side of David’s neck. “No, you have to put it down and help me finish wrapping gifts.”

“Ugh, why?” David stacked the papers he was rifling through in the middle of the island. “You are surprisingly very good at wrapping.”

“Because I want to spend time with you,” Patrick murmured, which—that wasn’t fair. 

“But I’m planning our dream wedding,” David tilted his head to the side so Patrick had better access. 

“But it’s the week before Christmas and there’s gifts to wrap,” Patrick pulled David from the stool he was sitting on. “And we’re going to the holiday party this weekend, so we need to figure out what we’re going to get Diane and Heather.”

“Oh fuck,” David grimaced. He had completely forgotten. 

Patrick hummed as he wrapped his arms around David’s waist. 

“I think we should put a pause on wedding planning, just for the next few weeks. I would like to be able to enjoy the holidays with my fiancé whom I love very much,” Patrick said. 

David held onto Patrick’s shoulders.

“That was very nice of you to say,” David pulled him closer and hooked his chin over Patrick’s shoulder. 

“Now, can you please come watch a Christmas movie with me while we wrap gifts?” Patrick started to gently move them towards the den without breaking their hug.

“If you insist.”

*

Diane and Heather’s holiday party became an annual tradition. David’s first one had been interesting and Patrick still hasn’t let him live down the fact that David completely blew him off. 

“Okay, I’m sorry I was a little uninterested in you after that weird drink concoction you put together,” David said with a huff as they entered the elevator in Diane and Heather’s building. 

“I don’t even remember what I drank that night,” Patrick teased. Just like always. “I was preoccupied by the hot stranger who acted like I wasn’t there.”

“Oh my god,” David shook his head. Same as every time they’ve had this conversation in this elevator. “Can we focus on the fact that a few weeks later, I did not blow you off at the New Years Eve party?”

“Wait,” Patrick turned to David. “The holiday party was when we bumped into each other and you were rude. Your offense at my drink of choice was on New Years Eve.”

“No,” David grimaced. “Okay, maybe, but I’m just going to go with I’m right.”

Patrick laughed.

“I still think about that night on the balcony,” Patrick said. That was different from their usual conversation. “On New Years Eve.”

“Do you?”

The elevator was getting close to their floor. Now that was something that David remembered for sure. He remembered feeling that he was at a turning point in his life. He had gone out onto the balcony to catch his breath and to bask in the city lights as the year slowly crept into the next. 

Patrick had caught him in a moment of vulnerable silence and poked and prodded at him gently. He had been intrigued by the man as they talked about their hopes for the next year. It had felt intimate, and David had left the party with a smile because of it. 

“Yeah,” Patrick tangled his fingers with David’s. 

The elevator dinged as it came to a stop. The doors opened and Patrick tugged him out of the elevator. 

“You just seemed like you needed a friend out there. I needed a friend too,” Patrick shrugged. “Plus, you looked very beautiful, with the lights from the surrounding buildings.”

“You wanted a friend, got a fiance instead,” David commented. 

“I did get more than I ever dreamed possible,” Patrick held the gift they got Diane and Heather under his arm, so David was careful as he pulled Patrick into a kiss. “I’m glad I ran into you at that cafe. Would’ve been embarrassing to ask Diane for your number.”

“I don’t know, it would’ve been very entertaining for me,” David pinched at the shoulder of Patrick’s jacket. “Although running into me at the cafe was the less creepy option, so that was for the best.”

“Everything turned out alright,” Patrick tilted his head up for a kiss. David  _ had  _ to oblige. 

“It did.”

*

He was in love with everything he had chosen. The flowers were beautiful, the food impeccable and the venue was so breathtaking, he dreamt about it.

But none of that quelled the anxiety he was feeling. It didn’t help that Patrick was off on his Bachelor party weekend, and David missed him. David’s was scheduled for closer to their wedding. They had originally wanted to have one together, but their schedules were off and David had insisted Patrick go have fun with his teammates.

He tried to focus on his upcoming show. He was showing his Fall/Winter 2021 collection in two weeks, but his mind kept bouncing between the two events.

David had  _ somehow  _ pulled his show together. The models were hired, the outfits assigned to each one and Stevie had already planned out their fittings. There was still more to do, but he was ahead for once. 

He went into the office Saturday morning just to  _ triple-check  _ everything. He hadn’t heard from Patrick yet today. Which wasn’t surprising, considering he woke up to a text received at 2 am that was riddled with typos. The text messages and pictures he received caused second hand embarrassment, and he was very much looking forward to teasing his fiancé about it in person. 

David decided he would call later in the evening, but he gave in as soon as he got home. Home didn’t feel right when his favorite part of it was missing. 

The phone rang and rang and David was about to hang up when it clicked.

“Hi,” Patrick’s voice was hoarse on the other end. 

“Hey honey, how’s it going?” He asked. Patrick groaned in his ear. “That great, huh?”

“I’m hungover. It’s 4 pm and I’m still hungover,” Patrick complained. “I was taking a nap to try to sleep the rest of it off, but I’m convinced that as soon as I leave the room, they’re going to make me shotgun a beer.”

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” David murmured. He kept his voice low and soft because he was a very good fiancé, thank you very much.

“Don’t be,” Patrick responded. “It’s nice to hear your voice in my time of need.”

David grinned. “But other than that?” 

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Patrick said. “It’s been nice to just hang out with the guys. We don’t get to do much of this during the season. Just hanging out as friends.”

“What have you been up to?” 

“The Airbnb we’re at has a barbecue, so we used it to make lunch and are thinking about going into town to the pool hall we passed on our way in.”

“Oh, yeah that sounds like so much fun,” David teased. 

“How’s everything at home?” Patrick asked. 

“It’s fine. I’ve been very anxious without you here to calm me down,” David admitted. 

“You’ll survive,” Patrick laughed. “I don’t have privacy here, or else I would offer some creative solutions.”

“That’s alright. I have plenty of material to keep me busy,” David wiggled his eyebrows, even though he knew Patrick couldn’t see it. “Go have fun. I just wanted to check up on you.” 

“Okay,” Patrick said softly. “Hey, I love you.”

“I love you too,” David smiled. “Now, please stay hydrated and don’t get alcohol poisoning.”

“One of the guys brought a box of pedialyte, so I had one of those earlier.”

“Good.”

David hung up after a few more goodbyes. He would see Patrick tomorrow, but it wasn’t soon enough.

*

His collection was perfect. He felt like he was floating at the end of it, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could  _ breathe.  _

He scrolled through the texts from Patrick later that night on his way home. Patrick was off at an away game in LA and had sent messages between practice and his game about the pictures he saw online. 

It was a lot, to receive the love and support Patrick was always ready to give him. David still felt undeserving of it at times, but he was learning how to be appreciative of it. 

He almost dropped his phone when it buzzed and a notification from the NHL app popped up saying that the Maple Leafs had won their game, 2-0. 

David smiled as he thumbed back to their text messages and sent Patrick a text.

_ Seems like we both had a good night. Congratulations honey.  _

*

Three days. 

David took a deep breath as he put toothpaste on his toothbrush. 

There were only three more days until his wedding and David was freaking out. He was ecstatic about getting married, and he had a wedding planner, Margot, who he trusted to take on the next few days for him so he could enjoy the moment.

But his family was flying into Toronto today, and David had spent a lot of energy over the past few years to make sure that his parents and Patrick’s parents didn’t spend too much time together. 

His relationship with his parents was better; so much better than it was when he left NYC in a flurry of hurt over their involvement in his gallery. His relationship with Patrick had helped him grow and he eventually reached a place where he could forgive them and move past the insecurity the news about his gallery had left him with. 

Even so, David was  _ not  _ ready for all that was about to happen. 

David was startled out of his thoughts by something bumping into him. 

“Hey,” Patrick smiled at him, toothbrush in hand.

David handed him the toothpaste as he started to actually brush his teeth. 

“You okay?” Patrick asked. David nodded and focused on brushing every tooth. Patrick raised his eyebrows at David in the mirror and they brushed side by side. 

When they were done, Patrick stepped into David’s space and wrapped his arms around David’s waist. 

“Are you getting cold feet on me?” Patrick teased. 

“Oh my god, never,” David shook his head as he finally dropped his arms over Patrick’s shoulder. 

Patrick stared at him expectantly. 

“It just hit me that all of our family is going to be in one room this weekend and that seems like a train wreck waiting to happen. Or like the inevitable event of you leaving me at the altar,” David explained in a rush. 

“Huh,” Patrick frowned. “Not going to lie to you, David, but that wasn’t going to be my reason for leaving you at the altar. Already had something planned.”

“Okay, I’m only 87% sure that you’re joking, and the leftover 13% will cause me to spiral, so if you could not, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you so much.”

“David.”

David summoned the courage to look Patrick in the eyes. 

“I’m not planning on leaving you at the altar. For any reason,” Patrick said with no hesitation. “I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and nothing,  **nothing,** will cause me to change my mind. Okay?”

“Okay,” David whispered as he nodded.

“Now, how about we enjoy our privacy while we still have it. I can think of many ways to pass the time before your parents get here,” Patrick murmured, his eyes trained on David’s lips. 

David smirked and pulled Patrick out of the bathroom. The bathroom was no place to start making out.

*

Alexis was the first to arrive, and she was thankfully, the only one of his family members who was actually staying in the house. His mother and father had insisted on getting a hotel suite for the week, which was convenient because David was also going to insist they stay at a hotel. 

She had texted saying that she was already in the car from the airport and David was ready for her arrival. Well, he made the cosmopolitans and those were ready for her arrival, and he had set his work email to an automated response that he would get back to them in a few weeks, and for emergencies, for them to call Stevie. 

“David!”

He was engulfed in a hug as soon as he opened the front door. He returned it awkwardly. 

“David! You’re getting married!” She stepped back and flapped a hand at him. “You’re actually getting married!”

“Okay, please don’t say it like that,” David shook his head. He took in the bags that littered the walkway up to the front door. He zeroed in on the garment bag. “Is that the dress?”

“Yes!”

He grabbed it and rushed back into the house. 

“Ugh! My bags, David!” She called out after him. 

“Leave them! Patrick will get them!”

He pulled at the zipper and then came to a stop. The dress was white and satin and—

“Alexis!” He pulled the dress from the bag and gasped at the full length of it. “Is this a wedding dress?!”

“No!” She appeared next to him. “It’s just a white, floor length gown.”

“Yeah, it’s a white, floor length gown worn to a wedding. Kind of sounds like a wedding dress,” He looked in the bag. He gasped as he handed the gown to Alexis and pulled the smaller bag from inside that was full of white tulle. “It has a veil! This is a wedding dress!”

“You said black or white! I’m not wearing black, David,” Alexis grabbed the bag from him. “And don’t worry, I’m not wearing the headdress.”

“Ugh,” David groaned. “I need a drink. I made cosmos. You can hang the dress in the closet behind you.”

“Yum, David!” The door of the closet opened and closed and then the  _ click clack  _ of her heels followed him into the kitchen. 

He handed her a drink and she let out a  _ hmph! _ as they clinked their glasses together. 

“So when is your little button getting home?” Alexis asked. She pulled at the ends of her hair with her free hand as she popped a shoulder at him. “I’m very excited to see my future brother-in-law again.”

“The two of you have come a long way,” David commented. He took a sip of his drink. Alexis smiled brightly at him. “From the train wreck of when you first met.”

“That was all just—a little misunderstanding!”

David shook his head with a laugh. 

Alexis and Patrick had met under … less than positive circumstances. 

It was towards the beginning of their relationship, and David had missed a phone call from Alexis. He and Patrick were having a quiet night in with movies and pizza, and David had put his phone on silent after a string of emails had interrupted their mid-The Holiday make out session. 

After the movie, Patrick chased David down the hallway and they fucked long into the late hours of the night. Which meant Alexis’s multiple calls from Mexico City went unanswered. 

He didn’t look at his phone in the morning, not when he was so focused on not burning the pancakes they were making together. He didn’t look at it until there was a loud banging on his door and he opened it to see Alexis on his doorstep.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” She yelled as she pushed past him into the penthouse. “I was stuck in Mexico City with Javier, who turns out, has a little side business that got the both of us into a lot of trouble.”

“What?” David said. He reached into his sweat pockets and remembered that he left his phone on the coffee table the night before. “Oh. Oh fuck.”

“Yeah, oh fuck,” Alexis turned towards him. “David, you do not know what I had to do to get back here.”

“I’m sorry,” David felt terrible. His sister stared at him. “I put my phone on silent and I was busy—”

Alexis turned around and stormed off into the kitchen. 

“What?!” She called out. “What is more important than your sister in need?”

He followed her into the kitchen where Patrick was standing at the counter and came to a stop behind her. 

“David,” Alexis turned and stared sharply at him. “There is a half naked man in your kitchen.”

David nodded. He stared at Patrick, who had not used the time David was at the door to put on a shirt. 

“You missed my call for a little man friend?” Alexis deadpanned. “David.”

“Oh my god, Alexis!” David grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the kitchen. “Patrick, we’ll be right back.”

“Wait, is that the hockey guy you were seeing a while ago?” Alexis asked as she shook his hand off her arm when they got to his bedroom.

“Patrick is my hockey player boyfriend that I’ve been seeing for months now,” David explained. “And I put my phone on silent last night because we were having a quiet night in.”

Alexis sat on his bed.

“Alexis, I’m sorry that I didn’t answer,” David sat down next to her. Alexis was quiet so he continued. “I really am and I’m so glad that you’re here.”

“You love him, don’t you?” Alexis asked. David nodded. They hadn’t said those words out loud yet. “This is a good look for you.”

“Hey,” Alexis tapped him on the nose, pulling him back into the moment. “I’m very proud of you.”

David waved off her comment. 

“Seriously, David,” Alexis took a sip of her drink. “I am.”

“Thank you,” David whispered. 

They froze at the faint sound of the garage door opening.

“Button!”

Alexis got up as soon as Patrick walked into the kitchen to throw her arms around him. 

David smiled at Patrick over Alexis’s shoulder. 

He was pretty proud of himself. 

*

Their dining room was full of people and loud,  _ incredibly  _ loud. His mother was regaling Twyla with a story about the reboot of Sunrise Bay she had just signed up for, his father and Clint were talking about the pros and cons of franchising versus opening an original business. Stevie was talking to Marcy about something David couldn’t quite hear. Alexis was fawning over Patrick…per usual.

It was overwhelming to see the two families come together like this. All in one room, and no one was screaming or crying—yet. Well, no one was screaming or crying in a literal, non-performative sense. 

His mother had offered up pre-dinner entertainment, and it was very … theatrical. 

There were multiple bottles of wine, but they were all empty. So were everyone’s dessert plates and David was full and happy in a way he never thought he would be. 

He caught Patrick’s eye and blushed at the resulting grin on his fiancés face. He watched as Patrick excused himself from his conversation and left the dining room with a nod towards the kitchen. 

“Hi,” Patrick had his arms out and waiting. 

David didn’t say anything, just melted against Patrick and draped his arms over his shoulders. 

“Everything’s going fine out there,” Patrick murmured. 

David nodded, his temple bumped along Patrick’s. It was surprising, how well everything was going. He was sure that it would implode soon. It had to, there was no way that it wouldn’t. 

“Alexis bought a wedding dress,” David said. 

“Why?” Patrick’s hand was warm where it swept up David’s back. “Is she getting married?”

“No, it’s to wear at  _ our _ wedding,” David said. Patrick pulled back to stare at him. “Apparently, a black and white dress code means she can and should wear a wedding dress.”

Patrick stared at him a second longer and then threw his head back in a laugh. 

“Wait, is she actually going to wear it?” Patrick asked. 

“I told her to try to find another option before Saturday,” David shrugged. “I was very upset about it at first and then your mom texted me telling me that the forecast changed and it’s supposed to rain on our wedding day. So, her dress is starting to seem like the least of my worries.”

“Rain?” 

“Mhm,” David ran a thumb over the shallow lines that formed between Patrick’s brows. 

“Huh,” He could see the wheels turning behind Patrick’s eyes. “What about the wood-fired pizza oven?”

“Shhh,” David pressed a finger against Patrick’s lips. “I’ve already gone through all the stages of grief, and I cannot go through it again. It’s in Margot’s hands now.”

Patrick nodded. “Margot will figure it out.”

“Mhm,” David wrapped a hand around the back of Patrick’s neck. He pulled him in for a chaste kiss. 

“Isn’t rain on your wedding day lucky?” Patrick asked. 

David shook his head. “I meant like, absolutely no talking about the rain.”

Patrick laughed and kissed him again. 

“Ew!”

They broke apart and turned towards the intrusion. 

“Oh my god, save it for the honeymoon!” Alexis pursed her lips in disgust as she walked into the kitchen, grabbed another bottle of wine from the island and left again back towards the dining room. 

“Shall we re-join?” Patrick asked. 

“If we must.”

*

Two days.

He was in the kitchen, on his second caramel macchiato when Patrick woke up. It wasn’t unusual for David wake first, he just usually stayed in bed later than Patrick. He was already buzzed on caffeine when Patrick kissed him good morning and opened the door to the refrigerator.

“We’re getting married,” David stated. 

“So I heard.”

David rolled his eyes at the snark. 

“We have waffle mix, right?” Patrick asked as he closed the fridge. 

“We should,” David took a sip of his macchiato. It was warm and sweet on his tongue. David savored the taste. He would tell Patrick what was upsetting him after he finished this cup. There was still another hour, at least, before Alexis was up. 

He watched as Patrick measured out the mix and the other ingredients. David chugged the rest of his macchiato and placed the empty mug with a heavy  _ thunk  _ on the counter. 

“We’re getting married in two days,” David said. Patrick hummed as he pulled their waffle iron from the cabinet. “In two days, we’re going to stand in front of family and friends and declare our undying love for each other.”

“Huh,” Patrick fiddled with the waffle machine. “I didn’t realize that’s what we were doing.”

“It’s a little embarrassing,” David said. Which, it didn’t come out right. 

“Which part?” Patrick asked. “There is a right answer to that question.”

David huffed a laugh as he moved his cup to the sink and settled in next to where Patrick had started to spoon batter into the waffle iron. 

“The whole standing there in front of everyone, being vulnerable part,” David whispered. “That part sounds very uncomfortable.”

Patrick let out a  _ huh  _ as he flipped the waffle iron, then turned to David. He just stared at him, to which David raised his eyebrows. 

“Well, all the best romantic moments have an audience,” Patrick said. David rolled his eyes. “Everyone will be moved. Stevie will probably cry. Everyone will cheer when we have our first kiss.”

David narrowed his eyes as Patrick took a step closer to him. 

“There will be a crowd of people, but you’ll be the only one I’m looking at,” Patrick murmured. David whimpered. 

“Okay,” David whispered. “You’re making it seem very easy.”

“Marrying you is the easiest thing I’ll ever do, David.”

*

When planning the week of their wedding, David had been adamant on having a spa day on the Thursday before. He didn’t want the day before, just in case any of them had any adverse reactions to any of the treatments, and he had been quick to invite his Maid of Honor, Stevie, the best man, Clint, along with Marcy, David’s parents, and Alexis. Patrick was at practice, but he’d be by just in time for their scheduled couples massage later that afternoon. 

“Hey,” Stevie said as she dropped down into the chair next to him. Her hair was up in a scrunchie and her skin was  _ luminous.  _

“How are you enjoying your spa day, Stevie?” David asked. 

“I am feeling very relaxed, David. Thank you for organizing this,” Stevie handed him a water bottle, which he took quickly. 

“Well, I need you up by that chuppah looking refreshed,” David commented. “You know, I wouldn’t be opposed to you and Patrick getting a bit of sun before the wedding day.”

“I don’t know if you can tan when you’re Patrick white,” Stevie joked. 

“Okay, you’re just as white as him,” David said in defense of his fiancé…even though Stevie was probably right. 

“You know Twyla was a little jealous that she wasn’t invited,” Stevie raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Oh, my god, she could’ve come!” David waved a hand at Stevie. “You guys are inseparable, she should’ve known she was invited.”

“Well, her birthday is coming up, so you can make it up to her by getting us a gift certificate,” Stevie blinked at him. “Or a gift certificate to one of those spa hotels, so we can have a weekend away, while getting pampered.”

“Okay, is this a gift for you? Or for her? _ ”  _

“Both?” Stevie shrugged. 

David shook his head at her. 

“So, how excited are you for Saturday?” Stevie asked. 

“I’m very excited to marry Patrick,” David said. He thought about his and Patrick’s talk while Patrick made breakfast. “Question.”

Stevie side-eyed him as she took a drink from her water bottle. 

“Were you mortified to profess your love for Twyla in front of a crowd?” David asked. 

“Was it really a crowd?” Stevie capped her water bottle. 

“You know what I mean,” David pulled his robe closed tighter over his chest. 

“Nah, I wasn’t,” Stevie shrugged. “I was worried about that, but as soon as Patrick and I stepped out of your house…all I could think about was her, and getting to her. I just wanted to be married to her.”

David nodded along. 

“It was the second happiest day of my life.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be number one?” That didn’t seem to bode well for their relationship, which was a shame because he genuinely enjoyed them as a couple. 

“Number one was the next day, when I woke up next to her and she was my wife,” Stevie shrugged. “That’s what matters.”

He stared at her. “That’s a lot of sincerity.”

“Yeah, it felt weird,” Stevie turned the water bottle in her hands. “But, that’s what married life does to you. Buckle up.”

David chuckled. 

“So where is the drink menu?” Stevie looked around. 

“They don’t serve alcohol.”

“What?”

“They only serve drinks that won’t dehydrate you.”

He stifled a laugh as Stevie’s face contorted in disgust. 

“I’m going to go find another treatment to put on your credit card.”

*

There was one day left until their wedding. Well, it was closer to one night, at this point, and David was counting down the hours. Each time he looked at Patrick, he got more and more excited. In less than 24 hours, Patrick was going to be his  _ husband.  _

One more look and he felt like he would explode. 

Their wedding rehearsal had gone by in a flash, and dinner was about to be served. They were inside their potential ceremony space. It was a smaller version of their reception area with the same french doors that led out to the lawn. If it rained, the wedding planner would set the chuppah right in front of the double doors with the guests sitting facing them and the rain. 

Rain during his wedding ceremony wasn’t his dream, but he couldn’t control the weather, even though he had looked into witchcraft as soon as Marcy texted him. 

“Good evening David,” Twyla approached him with a smile and the curve of an eyebrow. 

“Good evening Twyla,” David responded. He raised his glass at her. “Sorry about the whole spa mix up.”

“What?” Twyla’s face fell into a confused frown. “I don’t?”

Ugh, Stevie. 

“Nevermind,” David responded with a hand wave. 

Twyla stopped next to him. He was standing at where the base of the aisle was going to be. He was taking a second to take in the room, and imagine what his ceremony was going to look like. Margot had already walked him through it, but he just needed time with it. 

“This is a great space,” Twyla said. “Even if it isn’t what you originally wanted.”

“It is,” David tightened his grip on his champagne flute. “It’ll look beautiful once the flowers are brought in.”

“Stevie showed me the flowers you chose, and I have to agree,” Twyla’s voice was breathy with awe. David smiled as he closed his eyes. He could finally see it. The chairs and flowers, the soft lighting and the chuppah completely decorated. 

After the rehearsal, Alexis dragged David away from Patrick, who had a weekend bag in his car and all his wedding stuff already placed in the suite they had booked for the weekend. 

It wasn’t David or Patrick’s idea to spend the night before the wedding apart. They had heard it from both sides of the family and had given in, for the sake of tradition and good luck. 

David figured they could use the good luck.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Patrick murmured right before they kissed goodbye at the end of the night. David nodded and pulled him back in for another kiss. “I’ll be the one waiting for you, in front of all the people that we invited.”

“Okay, you’re not actually not as helpful as you think you are,” David teased. He took a deep breath as he thought about how he wasn’t going to see Patrick until tomorrow. “I’m going to miss you tonight.”

“Less than 24 hours,” Patrick murmured. “We can do it.”

It would be a stressful 24 hours, and he didn’t want to spend the night away from the one man who would make it better. At least when he saw him again, he’d be his husband. 

*

When David woke up, he woke up slowly, lazily as he blinked his heavy eyelids. He reached out for his fiancé, but he wasn’t there. He hoped Patrick was downstairs making a macchiato, but then it hit him. 

Patrick wasn’t there. 

Patrick was at a hotel, away from David, because  _ they were getting married today.  _

*

“I’m liking this turn of events,” Stevie said from where she was sitting on the edge of the tub. Her hair and makeup was already done and she was watching David as his hairdresser blow dried his hair into the perfect pompadour. The make up artist was busy laying out her kit. 

David raised his eyebrows at her. 

“But this time, it’s your turn.”

A warmth bloomed in his gut. 

“Never thought this day would come,” David murmured. 

“I did,” Stevie stared at him. 

“Turn towards me,” The make up artist tilted his chin and he turned away from Stevie so Kara could pull the under eye patches from his skin. 

“You’re just saying that,” David said. 

“I’m not. You know that I’ve never made it a habit to placate you,” Stevie said. 

That was true. He closed his eyes as Kara brushed a primer on. They had agreed on just a hint of make up, just enough of a base to hide any redness and to make sure he was camera ready. 

“You’re a good person, David,” Stevie continued. “You deserve this kind of happiness, even if you don’t believe it.”

“Oh, fuck,” David pressed the tips of his fingers into the corners of his eyes to try to stop the tears. He had expected to get a bit further into the day before he cried. 

*

David had never cried so many happy tears in one day. 

He teared up when his parents got to his house and they all had a champagne toast for David’s nuptials. 

He cried when Clint dropped off a letter for him from Patrick, who wrote two pages about how honored he felt to marry David and how he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with him. 

He cried again when him and Stevie were ushered into a room to wait for their respective turns to walk down the aisle. 

Stevie and Patrick were correct about not caring about the audience during the ceremony. 

As soon as he hooked his arm with Alexis’ and they walked through the doors into the ceremony space, his eyes zeroed in on Patrick at the chuppah.

He was overwhelmed with  _ feelings  _ as he walked down the aisle. 

Patrick smiled at him, and David felt like he was on fire. He felt like he had on their first date when Patrick teased him about his lack of interest in hockey while trailing a finger over David’s palm with a wide smile. 

He watched as Patrick took a deep breath. David could feel the movement in his hands, a phantom rise and fall that he had memorized over the years. 

When he stepped up next to Patrick and handed his bouquet to Alexis, he felt like he was home. Patrick stood next to him and this was the moment David had been waiting for. 

Today was the first day of the rest of their lives together. They’d continue on this journey together, just like they had been, with Patrick gone for away games, and David stuck at the office late when he had to finalize designs. Patrick would continue trying to avoid David’s perpetually cold feet in bed, and David would keep watching Patrick stumble around the kitchen to make breakfast because he never waited until he was fully awake to search for food. 

But now they’d have matching wedding bands. 

He barely paid attention as Fabian, the haikuist who was officiating, began to speak. 

Patrick’s eyes were rimmed in red and his lips were curved into a soft smile. David was appreciative of the fact that he wasn’t the only one crying. Even Clint looked like he was choking up behind Patrick. 

Patrick began his vows and it wasn’t fair that Patrick was so earnest and sweet without trying, and that he had a smooth, soft voice that he weaponized by singing from Always Be My Baby. 

When he wrote and memorized his own vows, he kept it short and simple, in fear of this exact moment. He spoke through a thick throat and around the tears that had formed. He garbled his way through how safe and loved Patrick makes him feel and how  _ Patrick  _ is his happy ending. 

David’s never liked a smile as much as Patrick’s and the small, intimate one on his face right now, in front of their friends and family might be the best one yet.

When they kissed, David held onto Patrick tightly, his arms tight around his shoulders, his fingertips grazed Patrick’s hairline, while Patrick’s hands were solid against his back. People still cheered when they pulled apart and walked back down the aisle. Patrick tried to pull him into a side room but Ray, their photographer, called out for them before he could. 

Patrick pulled him close for their first dance, and held him tight as they swayed to the music. For all that they fought over the song choice, David couldn’t hear it over Patrick’s sweet murmuring in his ear and his loud, fond eyes. 

Stevie’s speech was surprisingly beautiful and by the time her and Clint were finished, everyone was crying and David was pressing a cloth napkin to the corners of his eyes.

There was a lot of dancing at the reception and a lot of ABBA. David hadn’t put that on pre-approved list, but he wasn’t mad as he watched his mom and Marcy dance together to  _ Knowing Me, Knowing You _ , which did  _ not  _ belong at a wedding. They had both bonded over the starring role that ABBA had at their own wedding receptions. He wasn’t surprised that between the two of them, they were able to get ABBA on the music queue. 

David was surrounded by hockey players when  _ You Make My Dream Come True  _ came on. Patrick had put that one on the list, because  _ ‘ _ it’s the Leafs goal song, and scoring you was the best goal I’ve ever made. _ ’  _ David hadn’t talked to him for ten minutes after  _ that  _ monstrosity of a sentence, but he was secretly pleased by it. 

The cake was  _ stunning  _ enough that David almost didn’t want to cut into it. The knife slid through easily and David made sure to eat two slices because he wasn’t sure how leftovers worked at weddings and how he would be able to take some home. 

They had to abandon their plan for an outdoor pizza oven because of the rain, but they still got pizza delivered to the after party in its place, which David was thankful for after  _ way  _ too many glasses of champagne. 

It was very late, or very early, when they made their way to the hotel. 

They debated about wedding night sex in the elevator and by the time they got to the door to their suite, they both agreed that they were  _ exhausted  _ and probably too drunk to get hard. 

“I guess we’ll just have to settle for morning sex,” Patrick said before he crowded David against the dresser and kissed him sweetly. David shivered when he felt the metal of Patrick’s ring against the back of his neck. 

“I guess so,” David murmured between kisses. 

They got ready for bed slowly and David paused a foot away from the bed when he noticed it. 

On top of his pillow, was a hockey puck. His heart beat faster as he picked it up and turned it in his hands. There was hockey tape wrapped around the rim of the puck and in Patrick’s messy handwriting, it said:

_ September 3, 2021—our wedding day _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr [as samwhambam](https://samwhambam.tumblr.com/).


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